


Maybe you won't taste like Regret

by Daphnean



Series: My EXO Challenge [12]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, M/M, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-17 12:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8144584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daphnean/pseuds/Daphnean
Summary: "You haven't told me directly to fuck off yet, so I think that's better odds than nothing." That cute grin was back, far too cat-like on a man who became a wolf once a month.





	

When Kyungsoo’s alarm started playing Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor rather than his usual generic ringtone, he woke with an exaggerated moan, hand moving to his phone and pressing each number to his passcode more violently than usual. Hair mussed as he sat up, he could only mentally berate Chanyeol so much in his head, deciding it would be better to wait until he arrived for his shift at the hospital where he could properly give his friend a piece of his mind about his idea of “humor.”

Granted, Kyungsoo seemed to garner more vampire jokes than the others he worked alongside, no thanks to his mostly black wardrobe and brooding stares. It didn’t help his division in the hospital wore exclusively blood red, likely a choice by Joonmyun, the head of their department. Joonmyun had his fondness for puns, sometimes starting their biweekly meetings with a Transylvanian accent or counting all their new memos from other areas of the hospital like the Count from Sesame Street.

After a quick shower and dressing in his scrubs, Kyungsoo applied his sunscreen and grabbed his umbrella. Luckily, it was only mildly sunny this morning and so he could forgo the sunglasses for a moment as he made his way to the bus stop outside of his building. The bus ride, like on most days, was uneventful. He put his headphones in and let Pandora dictate his morning playlist.

Early shifts were his least favorite, not because of the sun, but in how the crush of people coming onto shift at the hospital was always so friendly. Kyungsoo was always very polite, but those sorts of pleasantries were always draining to his introverted nature. There was Hakyeon from surgery who always wanted a couple minutes to chat about hospital gossip and Donghae from pediatrics that still picked him up when he hugged him. Being well-liked, for most people, wasn’t usually so difficult. A few greetings more, and promising Hakyeon to meet for lunch sometime soon, and he was onto the elevator toward the fifth floor.

“Good morning, Soo.” Chanyeol was grinning as he slipped on his lab coat by the time Kyungsoo had finally made it to the blood labs.

Kyungsoo had learned years ago the easiest way to annoy Chanyeol was to react less, but his proverbial hackles did bristle slightly as he walked over to the cubbies to place down his work bag and grab his own coat. “I bet you had to Google “Vampire organ song” to even find that in the first place.”

That got a laugh out of both Chanyeol and Jongdae, who was nursing a coffee beside them. “He so did. He kept swearing because he ran into Twilight bullshit as he was looking.”

“A sacrifice in the name of comedy.” Chanyeol nodded severely, fussing with his newly dyed gray hair.

“Except no one was laughing until I made a joke just now.” Kyungsoo slipped into his jacket and straightened the lapels. “So when your target has a better sense of humor than you do, maybe you should stop while you’re ahead.”

Smalltalk ended quickly as Joonmyun came in, a list of patients on his clipboard that needed a visit. Seeing as Lu Han was on vacation until tomorrow, they were a vampire short, and so Kyungsoo and Joonmyun were going to have to catch the slack for the morning shift. Much to Kyungsoo’s delight, he was paired with Jongdae to make their rounds.

After six years of being a resident vampire on staff, Kyungsoo knew the hospital well, his routine coming as easily to him as a human’s need to breathe. Training for his position was hardly easy, despite what many of patients seemed to believe. The schooling for his palate to detect the subtle differences in blood types had been grueling alone, and that had been one of his first year courses. Jongdae, who had worked with him for two years now, always seemed amazed at how he could not only detect illnesses with a small bite, but also their patient’s diet and medications.

Their first few patients were routine, Kyungsoo taking in a small bit of blood and Jongdae recording his conclusions on his charts. His second patient of the day, a tiny older woman with large, gray glasses, rubbed at the mark on her neck in awe.

“Is there still some residual pain, ma’am,” Kyungsoo inquired, brows furrowing with concern.

“Oh no, dear.” She chuckled and finally lowered her hand. “The last time I had blood taken, the man had to take so much. You must be very good to take so little.”

Jongdae laughed, patting Kyungsoo on the back. “He was top of his class; he just hates to brag about it.”

More laughter, from both of the humans in the room, and Kyungsoo was thankful he didn’t have enough blood in him to blush much anymore as he looked down. “Jongdae, that was six years ago.”

“Save your humility for someone else.” Jongdae nudged him and bowed his head to their patient. “Thanks ma’am, we have all we need.”

Two patients later, as they were on the elevator to the ninth floor, Jongdae turned towards him and smiled. “So you have the weekend off, right? Since Lu Han’s coming back?”

“Hmm?” Kyungsoo had been staring off, unthinking. “Oh, yes, I am. And whatever it is you’re offering the answer is no.”

“You don’t even know what I’m asking yet. Maybe it was for a weekend at home watching movies?” Jongdae shifted closer as two nurses slipped into the elevator. “I’m not asking for that, but you didn’t know.”

“I did know.” Kyungsoo nodded his head to both nurses in greeting and turned his attention back to Jongdae. “You and Chanyeol both get the most conspiratorial smiles.”

Jongdae laughed. “Chanyeol worse than me, but yeah. Anyways, a bunch of us are heading out to A Positive tomorrow night for some drinks and dancing.”

“And by a bunch, you mean…?” Kyungsoo ran a hand through his hair.

“Let’s see. Joon, Chanyeol, and me from our department…Minho and Baekhyun from radiology, and I think Jongin and Yifan from pediatrics.” Jongdae looked up, biting his lower lip as he recounted all of those coming.

Kyungsoo hated that he couldn’t just dismiss them all so easily with getting branded as the recluse stereotype still attached to vampires. It had nothing to do with him being dead that made him suddenly hate clubs and loud music, that was just who he was. He’d been feeling the ache of loneliness lately, yes, but he’d been hoping to convince a couple of people over for some Netflix instead of some bass-filled grinding.

A sigh, and he let his hand fall from his hair. “I may not stay long…”

“Yes!” Jongdae pumped his fist up in a victory crow, startling the other two passengers of the elevator briefly, but he was unabashed in his celebration. “We’re all meeting there at nine. Want me to come over and help you dress up too? I already have to help Joonmyun ignore all of his sweaters.”

“Please.” Kyungsoo raised a brow. “I’m not that bad.”

The other man laughed. “No, but you do live exclusively in black.”

The elevator opened for their floor and they stepped out, where Kyungsoo could go back to zoning out between patients and brief bites of small-talk as they worked. He wanted to be optimistic about the weekend, but hesitation and anxiety were a ball in his stomach.

\--

Not really wanting attention, but still intent on proving Jongdae wrong, Kyungsoo was in a dark blue button down and tight black jeans. He’d styled his hair up slightly off of his forehead, black shoes comfortable in case he actually was persuaded to dance. He could see Chanyeol and Kris from across the street all thanks to their height, and tried not to make much of a fuss as he walked up to the group, giving a small wave. Unfortunately, Chanyeol was the first to spot him, which meant all subtlety was gone.

“Made it out of your cave intact I see.” Chanyeol pulled him into a hug. “And you’re not all in black? What the hell did Jongdae promise you?!”

Kyungsoo hugged him back, rolling his eyes even if the gesture was hidden against the other man’s chest. “That you wouldn’t tackle me in a hug as soon as I got here. Promise broken, I can go now.”

“Oh no, no.” Chanyeol held onto him tighter. “We worked our asses off with one man down this week and we’re all gonna let loose.”

“Let him breathe, Chan, Jesus.” Baekhyun was laughing as he helped pull the taller man off of him. “Nice to see you, Kyung.”

Greetings followed all around as Jongin arrived and their group trickled their way inside the club. The thrum of the bass was already causing his chest to ache, like it missed the feeling of a pulse. Herded to the bar by Joonmyun with the promise of shots, Kyungsoo stayed as far to the back as possible, picking up a conversation with Jongin about his new puppy.

The bartender looked young, around Jongin’s age, even with his intense eyes. His features were all sharp and angled, but his voice was soft, even as he tried to smirk and ask them for their drinks.

When the young man tuned his attention to Kyungsoo, he turned down the offer for a shot and instead asked for blood, whatever the bartender recommended. Surprised, the man’s confident guise faltered, and he focused on pouring shots for the others before heading to the other side of the bar for the blood.

Kyungsoo wasn’t too taken aback with the man’s reaction. Even with vampires so integrated into society alongside werewolves, some people still seemed completely clueless. Movies like Twilight had only cemented the clichés that permeated popular culture about his kind. Still, it did surprise him someone working at this particular club (known for catering to otherkin) would have some sort of issue with vampires.

But his smile was back when he returned, blood in a small fluted glass. “AB. It’s the best.”

Kyungsoo took the glass and sipped at it. “And why do you say that?”

“Because I’m AB." The man’s eyes were almost catlike, alight with amusement. "Most of you tend to want fresh stuff too, and that's our latest batch.”

The eager way the bartender revealed that information didn’t settle well with him. Kyungsoo had an experience or two with blood junkies, always hopped up on getting fed from and jumping from club to club looking for someone to drink from them. There were a hundred nicknames for them; blood junkies, crimson knights, or wonderfolk (citing “eat me, drink me” from Alice in Wonderland as their motto).

“Joonmyun’s paying, and this is what I wanted.” Chanyeol was currently abusing his alcohol privileges while Joonmyun’s ears were growing redder as he drank. Kyungsoo was perfectly content to just observe.

As time passed, the group (besides Kyungsoo) grew increasingly more intoxicated. Each one came up to him and pestered him to drink in turn, only for Kyungsoo to smirk and remind them someone had to drive them all home. Jongdae, in particular, had scowled at this notion.

“You planned this all a-fucking long, didn’t you.” His voice was louder the more he drank, whinier too.

Kyungsoo was still nursing his glass of blood. “Maybe. I think I earned it. Finding parking around here is a bitch. Why do you think I take the bus all the time?”

Eventually, most of them had moved to the dance floor. Yifan lingered back with him a bit, and by the soda in his hand, he was the other driver for the group.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” the taller man asked, hand dwarfing his glass as he slid up beside him. “I’d hate to think we drug you out only for you to be miserable.”

Finally finishing his drink, Kyungsoo shook his head. “I…I like observing. I’m not a fun drunk anyways. You have no idea how much blackmail I get on Chanyeol this way.”

Yifan’s gums were always visible when he laughed, and Kyungsoo found it endearing. “If I didn’t know you’d both I’d swear you were mortal enemies.”

“We’re not?” Kyungsoo chuckled. “I’m weird with my affections.”

The other man sipped at his coke and hummed in acknowledgment. “Think I should go show them what real dancing looks like?”

Kyungsoo mock sniffed Yifan’s drink. “There’s not near enough alcohol in that for you to show them anything.”

That got them both laughing, Yifan patting his shoulder before slipping out onto the dance floor anyways. Kyungsoo watched, amused, as he slid up towards Joonmyun in the most pathetic attempt to be subtle Kyungsoo had witnessed outside of a middle school dance.

“Do you need another glass?” The bartender had been busy with a gaggle of young women, moments ago, full of compliments and bottle flipping tricks that had them squealing with delight. Kyungsoo was surprised he’d come back over to him.

“No thank you.” Kyungsoo rested his elbow on the bar, chin resting on his palm as he continued to watch his friends.

The young man still lingered. “I didn’t mean to seem rude, earlier.”

Turning his attention to the bartender, Kyungsoo tilted his head before he remembered their previous conversation. “I was just wondering if you were aware that this was an otherkin establishment.”

“You have an acid tongue.” His smile was small, kittenish, “I guess I usually smell you guys first, but I was surprised when you asked for blood.”

Kyungsoo unconsciously traced the rim of his empty glass, rather than handing it over to the bartender. “I don’t think I smell any different than any other vampires.”

No wonder he’d been so skilled with those bar tricks, werewolf reflexes and senses were twice that of a human’s. Kyungsoo found it cute that a man who was part canine had so many feline qualities; the grace held in his wrists and the curl of his mouth.

“You smell warmer, woodsy.” A sniff and the young man smiled, a satisfied expression this time. “It’s nice; not so metallic.”

“Ah.” Kyungsoo didn’t know what to say, looking down at the wilted napkin crumpled in front of him, damp from the lime wedge Chanyeol had discarded in it earlier. A part of him felt humbled and flattered, the other part uneasy.

The bartender took the glass away, returning after a moment with a new one, despite Kyungsoo not asking for it. “My name’s Zitao.”

“Kyungsoo.” He hadn’t really intended to talk with anyone today. His proverbial hackles were out, as Jongdae would say.

“I can tell just by your body language that you’d turn me down for a dance.” Zitao ran a hand through his hair, and Kyungsoo could tell it was thick by the spread of his fingers through the strands.

Sipping at the blood, Kyungsoo raised a brow. “You’re on the job.”

“And I get breaks just like anyone else.” He leaned forward, elbow on the bar. “And I’d like to spend it with you.”

Kyungsoo ran his tongue over the back of his top teeth, humming a bit in consideration. “Then you can spend it sitting and talking with me. You’ll get to know me better that way than by dancing with me anyways.”

Zitao chuckled, his powdery voice a little too soft in the club, but Kyungsoo could still just barely hear him, catch the words by watching his lips. “Give me five minutes.”

Taking that moment to sip at his drink again, Kyungsoo merely watched him, rather than respond. The bartender seemed to call someone over, a guy with silvery hair, who slipped behind the bar and gave him a pat on the back, leaving Zitao free to come around and sit in the barstool beside him.

“Wonsik always lets me take longer breaks.” Zitao gave the other bartender a grin, before turning his attention to Kyungsoo. “So…”

“If you’re looking for a quick bite, I’m not interested,” Kyungsoo said simply.

Zitao turned facing away from the bar, leaning against it with his elbows resting on the counter. “Never said I was, but I could tell by your demeanor that’s not your scene. Besides, you’re probably pretty tapped out with two glasses in you.”

Kyungsoo tilted his half-empty glass in his direction in acknowledgement. “You’re not wrong, although I still have the rest of this one to finish. You really are persistent.”

“You haven’t told me directly to fuck off yet, so I think that’s better odds than nothing.” That cute grin was back, far too cat-like on a man who became a wolf once a month.

His determination, and lack of an aggressive push, was enough to not completely turn Kyungsoo away yet, and he couldn’t deny that a part of him found the other man very attractive. It was hard not to smile, in response to his easy confidence.

Setting his drink down for the moment, Kyungsoo shrugged. “I don’t really know what you’re expecting. And even then…I’m not great at this sort of thing. As you’ve noticed all of my friends are all out there.”

“They really must have wanted to see you, even if they knew you’d lurk around the bar all night.” Zitao crossed his legs, getting comfy in his lounging pose against the bar, as if he modeled like this all the time. “If you’re trying to scare me off, you’re failing.”

“Maybe you’re-” Kyungsoo almost finished his thought, the one that would admit that if anyone was afraid of anything, it was the idea of him being in a relationship again. He could live eternally, but the past two relationships still felt too fresh, raw scars along his sternum. Seeing Zitao felt like someone digging their fingers in until he screamed. He let the words die off awkwardly, taking a sip of his drink instead of continuing.

Zitao only watched him, didn’t goad him on, he turned around facing the bar again and called Wonsik over for a water. “I think you’re cute. And I like the way you…you’re both witty and well-spoken. There’s no carelessness to your speech. You also smell different to me, and I’ve always been told I should trust my instincts. They say to stay until you ask me to go.”

“And if I ask you to go?” Kyungsoo’s fingernails caught against the denim of his pants as he tried to ease some of his nervous tension, not knowing what to do with this attention.

“Then I go, tail between my legs and Yixing will laugh at me when I get off shift with my wounded pride.” Zitao grinned, expression candid, or at least that’s what it seemed like to Kyungsoo.

Whether it was to actually just check in with him, or Jongdae was concerned about the conversation, his coworker made his way over to them, sliding an easy arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder, physically putting himself between him and Zitao.

“This is where I beg you for one dance out there.” Jongdae’s breath smelled like citrus and vodka. “Start telling me what I’m going to owe you.”

Zitao didn’t move away, but Kyungsoo could see the question in his eyes, the way his body language shifted, ready to bolt with the rejection.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at his friend, jabbing him with his elbow far too lightly for his usual teasing. “You make sure I don’t work with Chanyeol for the next month and it’s a deal. And you.” He met Zitao’s gaze, hesitating before stealing one of the bar pens and writing his number on the corner of a napkin. “Try inviting me some place where I don’t feel so out of my element and we’ll see where this goes.”

Doing this in front of the notorious gossip Jongdae was a bad move, but some part of him also felt like letting Zitao go like this would be just as dangerous. The tall man’s smile was brilliant, toothpaste commercial blinding, as he took the scrap of paper, holding it with both hands.

“Have fun on the dance floor, Kyungsoo.” He finished his water, giving a wave before moving to return back behind the bar.

Jongdae had his most wicked, Cheshire smirk on. Kyungsoo let his expression go icy. “I will give you two dances under the condition Chanyeol doesn’t find out a word of this unless it actually goes somewhere.”

“Oh no, the whole damn club is going to hear about this whether I get a dance or not.” His coworker’s expression was exhaustingly gleeful and Kyungsoo’s threats bounced right off of him, “Let’s hear about the pretty bartender more now, hmm?”

Kyungsoo let himself be dragged off then, but not before looking back one more time at Zitao, who waved the napkin with his number like a handkerchief, sending him off. It almost was enough to make him feel like this was all going to be worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> EXO and all other Kpop entertainers presented here are real people and so I remind you that this is just a fic, like a play with their stage personas as the actors. This is not intended to be a representation of who these men and women are or are not. Remember to love and respect them always. And thanks for reading! <3


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